Finally here comes the next chapter...
Sorry for the lateness everyone, it's a bit shorter than the former! The next one will be C/O centric and I need this interaction to be perfect
...so I will write a chapter only for it.
Chapter 7 should be the last and will be followed by an epilogue!
Thank you all for reading and the great feedback!!
Chapter Six The initial tension had died after some time and they were both chatting amiably about nothing and everything.
Olivia was feeling more and more at ease and as a result was dangerously letting her guard down. Casey had sensed the troubled emotions passing through ‘Elliot’ tonight but she didn’t know what to make of it. She feared that he was in fact flirting with her. But something indefinable kept her from commenting on her impressions, choosing instead to fish for the truth.
“So tell me, why did you come here all by yourself, isn’t your wife worried about your whereabouts at such a late hour?” she knew something had happened in his couple recently but she wasn’t yet intimate enough with the squad to be informed of the detailed version.
“Well Kathy and I are going through some communication problems” she didn’t know how much to disclose, she was not Elliot after all. So she kept it to the minimal “I’m sleeping at the station for now, but I’m sure it’s just a question of days before we clear that up” she wanted to stay optimistic and if she had to go and plead for Elliot to Kathy, she’ll do it. She couldn’t stand to see them hurting like that.
“Oh! I’m sorry to hear that” she didn’t know Kathy very well, she had only had the occasion to meet her a few times during official gatherings but she had been very nice. In fact, ‘Elliot’ and Kathy were a cute couple, they seemed to go together pretty well. She wondered what had the fire started, but apparently ‘Elliot’ didn’t feel like sharing and she respected that.
“Thanks” she was touched by Casey’s sincerity even though it wasn’t aimed at her, she felt warmed by her compassion. “But I’m sure it will soon be over, we just have to talk about it”
“So why aren’t you there tonight? You know talking with her” she asked genuinely concerned. Realizing that she might have overstepped her boundaries she quickly added “sorry Elliot, it is not my place to tell you that, I don’t want you to think …”
Interrupting the redhead hurried apologies, Olivia reassured “no Casey, don’t worry it’s alright” seeing the other woman relax at her intervention she completed “I know you didn’t mean to be judgmental or anything…I really appreciate your concern, thank you” she delivered the last words with such an intensity that it took Casey’s breath away. “It’s just that today has been stressing and I don’t feel at my best to engage the dialogue”. She hoped the excuse sounded valid enough for the attorney.
“I understand” Casey stated simply, still shaken by the meaningful look reflected in ‘his’ eyes.
Desperate to change the subject, the detective decided to test the waters. “What about you Casey, don’t you have someone waiting for you at home?” she asked, trying her best to appear nonchalant.
“No unfortunately, I’m a very single prosecutor” she smirked.
“Well that’s hard to believe, I would have thought men were piling up at your door” she grinned at the now giggling redhead.
“Well detective, you might not be aware of that, being a married man and all, but it’s not easy to find someone when being in our line of work. I remember the first non-work related conversation I had with Olivia and she was right about this. People are hardly or too much interested in prosecutors or detectives whose job is to deal with sex crimes on a daily basis.” She smiled fondly at the memory of this discussion; it had started pretty bad with an angry Olivia entering her office to admonish her about her lack of tact with a young victim. But at the sight of the dishevelled attorney, the detective had quickly lost all trace of anger to enter a very natural comforting mode.
“Yeah I remember” lost in her own memories Olivia didn’t notice the slip.
“You remember what?” asked a now very intrigued Casey.
Realizing with dread her mistake, Olivia felt panic take control. She knew she had to give an answer soon or the attorney would find it extremely suspicious. Racking what was left of her brain she came up with “Oh uh, Olivia and I once talked about this ‘dating curse’ she seems to go through since she arrived in the unit” she crossed her fingers under the table, praying for Casey to buy this made up story.
“So now you know Elliot, this ‘curse’ doesn’t only apply to detectives but also to prosecutors” she stated with a smirk, satisfied with his explanation.
Breathing a sigh of relief she hadn’t been aware of holding, Olivia gave her best lopsided grin “that’s really a shame Counselor”
Wow I think he’s flirting again, time to do something about it Novak “Look Elliot, can I be honest here” she didn’t know what was coming upon her but it was time to set things straight.
Staring at his wife with something akin to a ‘deer-caught-in-the-headlights’, Elliot organized his thoughts quickly, hoping to come up with the most believable lie of history.
“Kathy, I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable here, I most definitely have no feelings for you other than friendship.” It hurt him so much to deliver those lines but he knew it was the only way to reassure her. “It’s just that, Elliot is so sad and hurting since you and he had this fight, it makes me feel really bad. You and Elliot are like family to me, and I see you like a sister Kathy.”
Boy that is so not true he smirked inwardly.
“I want to help the two of you and I think all of this added to the stress of those past few weeks made me a little more emotional than I’d like to be.”
Well the ball is in her court now, let’s hope she buys it or else I’m grilled’ cause Olivia is so going to kill me for this.“I’m really sorry Olivia; I think I must be quite emotional too lately. Would you forgive me for being so indelicate?” She felt a blush slowly creeping up her neck.
“No, no, please! Don’t think you were being indelicate Kathy! I really appreciated your honesty here, please never be afraid of telling me how you feel, ok?” Elliot took his wife’s hands in his own, squeezing lightly to convey the sincerity of his words.
I hope we learn to open up to each other again baby! I miss our heart to heart conversations!“Ok” she smiled warmly at the detective “and Olivia!”
“Yes”
“You are part of our family” she assured tenderly giving ‘her’ a hug for good measure.
“Thank you”
do you know how much I love you Kathy Stabler? He felt his heart skip a beat at the gentleness and generosity she held within her soul.
“You should go back home, it’s getting pretty late and I’m sure your sister wouldn’t mind giving up the next shift” he winked at her.
“I guess you’re right” she laughed lightly before collecting her coat and purse “and Liv, thank you again for listening to me, Elliot is really lucky to have a partner like you” she admitted sincerely.
“And he’s really lucky to have a wife like you, please take care sweetie and don’t worry, he will come back to you, sooner than you think” he announced rather enigmatically.
Frowning a bit at Olivia’s apparent certainty she turned around to leave and before reaching the entrance she looked back at ‘her’ “I hope you’re right, goodnight”
“Goodnight.”
As she disappeared from his view, he sighed heavily, a mixture of relief and regrets invading his soul.
Regrets, because he was aware now of how insensitive he had been for a while. Relief, because his conversation with Kathy had helped him realize this fact. He prayed from the bottom of his heart that it was not to late for him to make amends. That Kathy would forgive him and feel comfortable enough to finally share her deepest feelings.
He was amazed as he suddenly realized that the magic had worked. Adam and Eve had been real, had been right! He had learned the most precious thing ever, the way back to his lover’s heart. Communication and trust, two concepts he had buried inside for so long, afraid to be hurt by the atrocities he faced everyday.
Claming up was a safety reflex for any member of the force, avoiding by this very fact to be assaulted by the aggressiveness of the world.
He wondered what Olivia would have to face, will she learn something too, and will she be as blessed as he had been tonight?
To Be Continued